Rancher's Deadly Reunion. Beth Cornelison
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“So we thought we could share that knowledge, that love of adrenaline, with others,” Zane said, picking up the explanation in a seamless back and forth of input, the twins practically finishing each other’s sentences.
Brady shifted his position on the love seat, resting his arm along the back. Piper sensed more than saw the move, and her skin prickled with an awareness of his arm so near her shoulders. She could tell he’d recently showered. The crisp scent of his soap mingled with a more woodsy aroma of deodorant or other body product, teasing her nose...and her imagination. She struggled to focus on what her brothers were saying instead of the body heat and sultry scents that radiated from her seatmate. She sat taller, keeping her back stiff as she perched at the front of the cushion in order to avoid touching him. Even the thought of his arm brushing the back of her neck sent distracting ripples of disquiet dancing along her nerves.
“We can renovate the bunkhouse to lodge paying guests,” Zane continued, “and take people out to Grandpa’s tract of land on hiking, camping and adventure-sports outings.”
“Sorta like a dude ranch but with the focus being the sports and extra activities. An adventure ranch.” Josh paused briefly, casting his gaze around the room, clearly gauging his family’s reaction. “We’ll show people stuff about the ranch, riding horses and working with the cattle, but the highlight will be a camping and hiking trip where we rock climb, raft, zip-line...whatever.”
Zane picked up the thread, his eyes alight with a fiery passion for the idea. “The point being to give adventure seekers the chance to do the kind of stuff they come to the mountains to do in combination with the ranch experience.”
Piper caught her brothers’ excitement, knowing they wouldn’t have brought this idea to the family without having a plan to make it work. Zane, the workhorse and responsible one of the triplets, would have addressed the details, at least.
Their father knitted his brow. “Have you looked into the cost of liability insurance for something like this? Start-up costs? The advertising expense to get people to come?”
“We’ve done preliminary inquiries with a few insurance companies and have drawn up a list of start-up costs.” Zane paused for a beat, leaning down to idly scratch Zeke’s ears as the cat rubbed against his legs. Glancing up from the cat, Piper’s brother pulled his mouth into a moue of regret. “Getting the ball rolling will be costly, but Josh and I can take out a business loan—”
Their mother made a soft sound of displeasure.
Zane gave their mother a quick, we’ll-be-okay grin and continued, “And we’ll do the lion’s share of the work in order to keep the cost of salaries to a minimum.”
“Our plan is not to go full-scale right off the bat,” Josh jumped in. “We’ll do smaller, more manageable trips at first while we figure out what works and where we need to make changes.” He faced their father and included Roy with a glance and a nod. “We don’t want to cause any trouble with the cattle operations or burden anyone with unmanageable workloads.”
“Of course, we’d love to have any help or expertise you want to offer,” Zane said, “and we’ll pay any ranch staff that contributes time and skills to the effort.”
“What time frame are you looking at? When do you hope to have your first guests take one of these trips?” Roy asked.
Her brothers exchanged a look, and Josh said, “We’d love to get this off the ground as soon as possible. We’ll start the renovation work on the bunkhouse this month and shoot for our first trip in the spring. Around April?”
A meditative silence fell over the group as their parents and Roy, judging by their expressions, mulled over the idea and formulated more questions. Piper hazarded a quick side-glance to Brady, and as if he felt her gaze, he angled his head to meet her eyes. Her pulse stuttered, and a warmth stole through her. To hide her reaction to him, which she feared showed on her face, she pasted on a grin and turned to her brothers.
“I love the idea! It makes sense, considering we aren’t using the bunkhouse now. It uses your talents and passion for outdoor recreation in a profitable way. And vacation ranches are very popular. I read an article in the airline magazine—not this trip but one I took for business a couple months ago—that talked about how popular adventure sports are becoming.” She knew she was prattling, filling the silence and hoping everyone would credit the flush in her cheeks and at her neck to excitement for the plan rather than Brady’s unsettling proximity.
Zane and Josh beamed, and after exchanging a brief but meaningful look, Josh said, “I’m glad you think so, because we have a proposal for you.”
Piper blinked her surprise. “For me?”
Zane nodded and scooted to the edge of the sofa as he leaned toward her, hands on his knees. “We want you on our team.”
She chuckled warily. “I am. I just said I was behind you, that I liked the idea.”
“No, not behind us. Beside us. A joint effort,” Zane clarified.
She tipped her head in query. “You want me to invest in the start-up? I...guess I could give you—”
“Not your money,” Josh interrupted, then flipping up a palm, “Well, maybe some money. Down the road. But right now what we are asking is for you to work with us. To be part of this.”
Piper’s heartbeat thundered against her ribs. “I don’t unders—”
“Move back home, Piper. Be our accountant, our bookkeeper, office manager...”
When Josh paused, Zane added, “Be our partner. We want you to do this thing with us. You’re the third part of the McCall Trouble Trio. And we want you to be one third of the whole venture, expenses, profits, duties. We want your talent, your education, your experience with finance. Not just for the adventure ranch but to help save the Double M.”
Her heart swelled hearing her brothers ask her to join them. To be included. To be wanted and needed by them. Her throat tightened with the same damn emotions that had ambushed her earlier in her bedroom.
Josh reached for her hand and squeezed it. “You belong here, Piper. Not in Boston.”
Frowning, she pulled her hand back. “Excuse me! I like my life in Boston. I have a good job and friends and—” She cut herself off with a disgruntled huff.
Stunned by her brothers’ request, she flopped back on the love seat, heedless of how doing so meant Brady’s arm was now draped close to her shoulders, his warm forearm pressed to her nape. Flattered as she was by their proposal—Josh’s Boston comment aside—the notion of leaving Boston and moving back to the ranch was daunting. Giving up her income, giving up the little apartment that she’d decorated to fit her style, giving up her friends...could she do that?
But coming back to the Double M would mean being near her roots, her family.
And being near Brady, she realized, her heart shuddering to a stop. She sucked in a sharp breath as her pulse now lurched to a gallop, and she became acutely aware of the heat of Brady’s arm against her neck, the weight of his penetrating gaze. The sensation of a thousand champagne bubbles bursting tingled in her belly and skittered from her neck to her fingertips. She swallowed hard and, knowing all eyes were on her, waiting for her response, she forced her tongue to work.
“I...don’t know. I’m honored that you asked. Truly, it means a lot to me that you want me to be part of this...”
“Of course we want you, Pipsqueak. You’re a McCall. This ranch is as much your legacy as ours.” Zane flashed her a gentle smile. “In fact, you could say it’s your duty, your family obligation to help save the ranch.”
Josh smirked and tipped his head toward his brother as if to say, Yeah. What he said.
“Boys, don’t guilt-trip her. Being part of the family doesn’t come with strings attached,” their mother fussed. “Piper, dear, I know you love your life